Prize Child
by UndeadGrenadier
Summary: James and Lily had never truly seen eye-to-eye. They fought, they argued. But when Lily makes a wish she had never dreamed would come true, she has to fight to make the right choice. Bring James back...? Or erase him forever.
1. A World Full of Magic

Gaping holes still hung in the hearts of the many that had lost. It was a bitter-sweet ending. The dark lord had fallen, but he'd fallen with so many loved ones. Mothers… fathers…brothers… sisters… sons and daughters. It was the end of a time of darkness, but it wasn't the end of sadness.

Sometimes no one was sure just how much longer life could go on. Surely someone would try and take on the Dark Lord's legacy. But the years went by… and it seemed everything had gone back to normal. But who could ever define the word normal, in a world full of magic… in a world full of change.


	2. I Wish

**Chapter One:**

In times like these, it's best to keep calm. Yes, surely keeping calm was the best option. But really, who was she kidding?

Lily Potter paced back and forth, wringing her hands nervously. She didn't know what to do or what to think. Maybe a little bit of it was her fault, but she hadn't started the fight. Maybe that could be her silver lining. Maybe she could say it was self defense? She hoped that excuse could be her salvation. Then she sighed. _And what of James… _she thought miserably. _He'll have concocted some huge story that made him seem like a saint. Oh now what should I do?_

She halted her pacing as her ears caught the noise of hinges squealing. She looked at her father with wide eyes and watched as her older brother marched out of the room, a triumphant smirk plastered to his face, hidden from her father. Her shoulders sagged in defeat as Mr. Potter gestured for Lily to follow him into his study.

"Close the door, please," he said calmly as he walked around his desk and sat down. He watched her with slightly narrowed eyes. He could see that she was completely terrified, as she well should be.

"Do you know why you're in here?"

"Yes sir," Lily said, made nearly inaudible by fear. "May I explain?"

Her father nodded and leaned back in his chair. _Oh this should be good… _he thought.

"I'll start out by saying I didn't start the fight," she said, nervously twirling a lock of her flame red hair around her fingers. "I was sitting in the library minding my own business when James started making fun of me."

"That makes me want to believe you _did _start the fight…" Mr. Potter sighed, obviously exasperated.

"I know, but dad… I'm not finished. He started poking fun at me, and you know James gets out of hand sometimes! He calmed down for a moment and then he pulled another one of his pranks!"

"That's not what James told me."

"He's lying… you know he lies…" Long before she had even walked into her fathers' study, she had known the fight was lost. She knew she wouldn't be believed. Either they would both be punished, or she would be punished. And it wouldn't matter who had started the fight, but who had destroyed the library in the end.

"Honestly, I don't know who to believe. Both of you take a startlingly strong amount after your grandparents. So, since both of you fought, I only see it fit that _both _of you share the same punishment. Two months in detention and you get to help clean up the library. I will be notifying the Headmistress about my decision and she will carry it out for me. In the meantime, try not to get into anymore trouble."

Lily sighed. "Yes sir."

She stood, knowing she was dismissed, and trudged out of the room and down the hall. _It's not fair! _She thought angrily. _James always gets his way. He gets punished sometimes, sure, but he's still always the saint. So what does that make me?_

Lily pondered this as she was slowly to her room. Ever since she was a little girl, her brother was the favorite. He got everything. From the newest toys a child could have, to the most sought after broomsticks that everyone turns their heads in envy. Lily surely was never forgotten, nor was she neglected, but she did feel left out. She paused in her musings and stared at picture of her and her brothers. James was standing in the forefront, with his arm slung carelessly over Albus's shoulders. They were laughing and sometimes pushing each other around, but Lily was sitting on the floor, a small smile on her face. Occasionally she would look up at them and shake her head.

Lily grimaced and started walking again. No, she wasn't always in the background. She was put first sometimes. Then she frowned, realizing most of those times were on her birthdays. Her shoulders slumped in defeat again.

"So how did the talk go, Lil?"

"Shut up."

Lily rammed her shoulder into her brother as she passed him. He snickered and ran ahead of her, walking backwards so he could face her. "Oh come _on_, Lily, don't be so sour. I'm only curious. What did dad say?"

Lily stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest. "What did he tell you that had you walking out so chipper?"

"I'll tell you, if you tell me." He crossed his arms over his chest as well, and raised one of his eyebrows. They would never admit it, but they looked exactly alike when they did that.

Lily watched him with narrowed eyes. Then she nodded. "We've both got two months of detention, and we have to help clean up the library."

A look of shock passed over James' face, but it was quickly replaced with amusement. "No worse than any other punishment I've ever gotten."

"So what did dad tell you?"

James grinned. "Oh, he had other news for me. Top secret… its seventh year stuff, nothing a fifth year like you could understand."

"But you said-!"

"And have you ever listened to a word I had to say?"

James ran ahead again and disappeared around the corner. Anger built up inside of Lily and she felt like she wanted to break something. So instead, she opted for running into her room, slamming the door shut, grabbing one of her pillows, and screaming into it until her throat began to get sore. She threw it back onto her bed and sat on the corner of her mattress.

_I wish James had never been my brother..._


	3. You're Both Right Until You're Wrong

**Chapter Two:**

The next morning, Lily awoke to a pair of brown eyes staring down at her. She yelped and lashed out with her hand, but he was already gone.

"James!" She screamed, snatching back her covers and racing after him. She could hear his derisive laughter echoing from downstairs. She took each step three at a time and found him sitting at the kitchen table, muffling his snickers with his hand. Their mother stood at the stove, fixing a large breakfast with one hand, and doing dishes with the other, either ignoring the typical morning quarrel, or honestly oblivious to what was going on.

Albus looked nervously between the two of them. "Guys, cut it out. Don't you think fighting will get you in more trouble?"

Lily curled her lip in disgust and sat down beside her other brother, keeping a close eye on James. "Good morning everyone,"

"Morning father," James and Lily said in unison, and then glared at each other.

Albus scratched his head and mumbled a half-hearted greeting. Mr. Potter looked at his youngest son with sympathy. He was caught in a feud between his siblings, and probably being forced to take sides. Being the middle child obviously wasn't easy.

"Morning, Harry. Are you hungry?"

Harry smiled at his wife and kissed her quickly. "Starving. But I'll have to eat quickly. I have a meeting with the Minister of Magic in an hour."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot about that! Well, here you are dear. Kids, help yourselves to everything. I'll be right back."

She ruffled her husband's hair as she left and disappeared up the stairs. James stood up and did just as his mother had said and helped himself to everything she had prepared. Lily stood up and walked over to where he stood by the stove, piling his plate high with food she knew he could finish, but shouldn't.

"Um, Albus and I have to eat too, you know."

"Oh, I know. This plate _is_ for me and Albus. We're going to eat in my room."

Lily watched as James pulled Albus from the table and dragged him away. She turned back to glance at the stove, seeing a small portion of eggs, a half piece of bacon, and a piece of toast with a bite taken out of it. She grimaced and made her way back to her room.

"You're not going to eat?" Harry asked his daughter inquisitively.

"No, I'm not hungry anymore. I think I'm just going to get ready."

Once she was out of sight, she ran up the stairs and into her room. She yanked clothes out of her drawers and shoved them into her suitcase.

"He does it all on purpose. Why can't he just stop being such a… such a…." Lily bit her lip in frustration. "Never mind. Once we get back to Hogwarts, things will get better. I'm sure of it."

Once she had finished packing and dressing herself, she sat down on the edge of her bed, and placed her head in her hands. Why hadn't she just ignored James? This last fight got them both into a lot of trouble, but it could have been worse. Lily could have been expelled. She couldn't even imagine how she would cope without Hogwarts. It had become a second home to her, and her friends and teachers had become her second family. Lily sighed heavily and fell back onto her bed, staring up at the speckled ceiling. _Two months of detention with James... _She thought miserably. _Oh that's a lovely idea. They may has well have just given us detention until we graduated. James would have been happy with that. He graduates in a few months. _

"Lily?"

Her eyes snapped to her door, and saw a hesitant Albus standing in her doorway. She sat up and folded her hands in her lap. Albus had done nothing wrong, so he didn't deserve to be given the cold shoulder.

"Yes, Al?"

"I'm sorry for what James did this morning. I told him I wasn't hungry, so I saved my portion for you if you want it." Albus walked into the room and handed his plate to Lily. "It's probably a little cold, but you could probably heat it up if you wanted to." She frowned and handed it back.

"No, Albus, I won't take that. I can always eat on the train or at school or something. It was yours in the first place, fair and square." Lily smiled and he smiled back and nodded. Then he scratched the back of his neck and looked down at his food.

"Lily..."

"What?"

"Why can't you and James get along? It kinda hurts to take sides."

"Oh..." Lily felt awkward now. She had never really taken into consideration how much Albus really would be involved in her feud with James. Or anyone else, really. It had always been just her and James. Their fight. No one else's.

"I don't know. But we're too different."

"James and I are different. You and I are different... but we don't fight."

Lily sighed. "It's complicated Albus, and I'm sorry I can't better explain."

He shrugged and began to leave. "Oh, well... it's okay. I'll just keep saying you're both right, until one of you is wrong."


	4. Let's Say We Did, But Don't

**Chapter Three:**

The conversation with Albus had unnerved Lily. So much so that even James noticed, and didn't seem to bother her. Sitting in the front seat of the car, next to his mother, James kept glancing back at his youngest sibling. Lily was staring out the window, her eyes very distant. Of course, she was always distant, but never to the point where she ignored him completely. Usually, when he said something, she would always have a snide retort. But nothing came from her. She didn't sigh, she didn't roll her eyes, she didn't really move, except to push her hair out of her face. They fought, but James could honestly admit (only to himself) that he loved his little sister.

"Mum, are we there yet?" Albus complained. He had enjoyed the silence between his brother and sister, and took pleasure in the long, quiet car ride. Every year, it had been the same thing over, and over, and over again. Yelling and arguing, and then turning to him for support, but neither got any. His earlier conversation with his sister spooked him too, but he had meant every word. He wasn't going to take anyone's side. He knew they were both wrong for fighting the way they did, but he was going to push them along anyway, say they were right, until one of them finally took it too far. He had a feeling it would happen soon, but he didn't know who would do it.

Ginny Potter smiled at her son through the rear-view mirror. "Soon, Albus. Don't you remember the route?"

"Mum, we're in the sky! How could I possibly remember the route we take?"

She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "You'll have to learn pretty soon. James already knows how to fly the car, but you can only drive it on the road. James learned at fifteen. You'll be learning this summer."

"I'm already sixteen." Albus deadpanned.

Ginny smiled again. "I worry over you more than I should. But you'll learn."

Albus sighed very loudly and leaned against the door, pressing his forehead against the glass, watching as the clouds flew past them. His eyes flickered over to where Lily sat, still very silent. Had what he said upset her? Or had she taken what he had said to heart, and finally decided to not fight with James anymore? She was obviously deep in thought, not unlike any other day, but everyone in the car seemed to notice she was more distant than usual.

As the car began it's descent both Albus and James seemed to forget their worries over Lily and began thinking about going back to Hogwarts. It had been a _very_ long Thanksgiving break, and they both missed all of their friends. When the car landed neatly in a parking space, Albus nearly tripped over himself trying to get out of the car and to the trunk to gather his things.

"Careful, Al, don't hurt yourself." James chuckled as he sidestepped his brother, who was desperately trying to right himself. Slowly Lily dragged herself from the car, not dreading going back to school, but dreading her detention with James. Albus was very right. She and James had dragged their brother into their fight, very unfairly. And it was very obvious that neither of the two would be getting over their differences anytime soon, but how could they keep Albus out of it? Maybe act like normal siblings when they were around him? Lily had pondered this idea for quite a while, and though it seemed like the best option, it had the potential to backfire. And what about ignoring James completely and totally? That may also work. Not ever talking to him, looking at him; never acknowledging his existence. That one also had the potential to backfire. Lily just wanted to stomp her foot and scream like a five year old having a temper tantrum. But she was doing so well at keeping quiet and keeping her emotions in check, and she wasn't about to ruin that.

"Hey Lil, hurry it up will ya? The train leaves in thirty minutes and we've got a crowd to fight through!" Albus handed Lily her trunk and her pet cat, Jinx, and quickly followed after his mother and brother. Lily quickened her steps so she could keep up with them and, for the time being, forgot her problems. She took a deep breath and let it out as quietly as she could.

"Back from dreamland, huh, Lil?"

James had slowed down enough so he was walking right beside her. He kept his voice low, so he wouldn't alert Albus and his mother. "Listen... I'm pretty sure I know what you were thinking about in the car."

"Oh really?" Lily sneered.

"Yes," James glanced at Albus and then back to Lily. "You were thinking about him. It's okay, he talked to me, too. So, why don't we just... pretend nothing has ever happened between us?"

Lily raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Pretend nothing has ever happened? Are you joking?"

"Okay, okay, jeez... then why don't we pretend for Albus's sake that we love each other and we're one big happy family. Just like the old days. You know, when you couldn't talk."

Lily narrowed her eyes, but knew she had no choice. She held out her hand, and James grabbed it and shook it once. "Deal."


	5. Just The Beginning

**Hey everyone! A new chapter is finally being posted. I know I haven't really taken too long to update, but it was longer than I would have liked it to be. Lately the ideas haven't been flowing as freely as they used to in my younger days, but it's hit and miss. But hey whatever works now, right? I know it's a little short, but bear with me, I PROMISE longer chapters in the future. **

**Okie! Now... go enjoy the story!**

**xxx**

******Chapter four**

******xxx**

* * *

"Maybe we're being a little too obvious," she whispered loud enough for only her brother to hear. James shushed her angrily, but continued to keep a sickly sweet smile plastered to his face.

"Just shut up and pretend you love me."

James, Lily, and Albus had long since arrived at Hogwarts, unpacked, and rejoined at the Gryffindor table at dinner. Lily and James were sitting next to each other, pretending to have an excited conversation about the coming year, and Albus was staring between the two like he had been blind all his life, and could finally see. Lily was right, it was very obvious they were overdoing it, but James didn't care. He loved seeing not only how distraught his sister was, but the attention he was getting.

"Are you guys feeling alright?" Albus finally asked the question that had been plaguing him ever since the train ride. "I've never seen you act like this. Well, not since Lily was a baby."

"What do you mean, Al?" James asked with a bright smile. "We're perfectly fine. Better than fine actually. We're practically- OW!"

James looked down at his sister, using all of his willpower not to knock her off the bench. She smiled sweetly, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and returned to eating her dinner. James muttered insults under his breath and Lily aimed for his foot again under the table, but this time he was prepared. He hiked his legs up onto an open seat across the table, avoiding her kick.

"So, James," her voice held the slightest amount of annoyance, but only James seemed to notice it. He smirked, took a rather large bite of mashed potatoes, and gave his sister a toothy grin. She grimaced at the sight of potatoes oozing slowly from the sides of his mouth, but continued. "Do you plan on becoming the Quidditch Captain this year?"

"Of course!" He said, his voice grossly muffled by the food in his mouth. He swallowed quickly and kept talking. "Garrows just graduated and she wanted me to be the captain anyway! So it's obvious I'm going to get the position!"

Lily pursed her lips in consideration. "I think I might just try out this year, as well. I've been told I'd make a _pretty _good Beater on the team."

James stared at her in shock. "And who told you this?"

"Well, Denise Garrows of course! Me and her used to be very good friends you see, and so whenever I'd stay the night at her house, we would always go outside and play a couple games of Quidditch. I always chose to be the Beater, because I liked imagining that the Bludgers were your head, but of course I don't do that anymore! We've gotten over that, haven't we Jamie?" Lily said sweetly, using her old childhood nickname for her brother.

His lips twitched into a smile, though he was obviously very upset. "Of course, Tiger Lily."

"Wow... I haven't heard you guys use those names in a long time..." Albus said in awe. James grinned at his younger brother, and without warning, yanked Lily into a crushing bear hug. Lily gasped, pushing as hard as she could against James' arms, but he was strong and relentless. The world had just begun to spin when he let her go. Her arms prickled as the blood began to flow freely in them again. She grimaced and decided to eat her food in silence for a little while. James distracted Albus with a long conversation about their Herbology classes, allowing Lily to gather her bearings.

_I knew this could backfire_... she thought miserably. _But if I stop the act now, Albus might get hurt. That can't happen. This is for Albus. I can do this. It's for Albus. I can do this._

After a few minutes of repeating those words in her head, she joined in the conversation with a bright smile. James and Lily continued to use their nicknames for each other, but always during the conversation, there would be an opening for a playful punch, or a inconspicuous kick under the table. And they took every chance they got. James kicked Lily under the table, and Lily playfully punched James on the arm, just a little too hard, but always when Albus had stopped to eat for a moment.

The feud had never stopped. In fact, it was only just beginning.


	6. Merlin Knows

**See? Told ya it would be longer! Not as long as I would have liked, but it's decent. I made this chapter as a 'meet the background characters' kind of chapter. But a quick tip: pay close attention to Xander! He's not your average overachiever! Anyway, just enjoy the story, and make sure to review and tell me if it needs anything, or if you've got any ideas. I've got the basic plot in my head, all the way to the end, but something a little extra you might like to see is always cool. And mentions are always given in these kind of short AN's haha... anyway...**

**ENJOY!**

**xxx**

**Chapter Five:**

An hour before she even had to be awake, she was up, staring at the canopy of her bed. Most of her first day back at Hogwarts would be dedicated to cleaning the library with her brother, James. She sighed quietly, not wanting to wake her dorm mates at she summoned the strength to pull herself from the comfort of her bed. She swung her legs over the edge of her mattress and stood, stretching up on her tiptoes until her back made a satisfying crack. She smiled to herself and made her way into the girls washroom. Her clothes were already folded neatly on a chair near her stall.

She stood beneath the scorching current for what seemed like forever, but when she started to hear the voices of the other girls, she stepped out and dressed herself.

"Good morning, Lily." Lily smiled up at a fourth year she had taken a liking too. "Oh, good morning, Mildred. How are you?"

Mildred blushed and started brushing her hair as she replied. "I'm fine, thank you. But, could be a doing a little better."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, per se..." Mildred smiled and turned away from the mirror to look at Lily. "Albus has all of my classes this year..."

Lily laughed. "Ah, I see. That's right you did have a crush on my brother."

Her light brown eyes widened. "Shh... please, if anyone else knew they would tell him for sure!"

"You don't want him to know?"

"Not yet..." Mildred fidgeted with the buttons on her shirt, a shy smile lighting her face up again.

Lily smiled. "Okay, Mildred. Hey, will you help me really quick?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I need my hair braided back that way it won't get in my face. I have detention..."

Mildred gasped in shock, but proceeded to braid her friends hair. "Really? What happened?"

"It's a long story, but lets just say it had a whole lot to do with James. Both of us have to clean up the library. I guess it's been repaired enough to be safe, but they left it a mess that way it could be our punishment for fighting. We'll probably get it done before the two months is up though, so I don't know what they'll do with us then."

Mildred made a sympathetic sound. "When do you start?"

"After breakfast. They're taking us out of certain classes so we can get it done faster, and learn our lesson. It's classes we like, and classes we exceed in, that way we don't miss anything, and miss everything." Lily pouted, her shoulders slumping.

"I've heard a lot about James, but is he really that bad?"

"Yes! He's rude, arrogant, and selfish. He's been this way ever since we were little."

Mildred was silent until she finished Lily's hair. "There you go. It'll last all day, no matter what happens."

Lily turned and gave her friend a hug and a brilliant smile. "Thank you, Mill."

Mildred smiled at the use of her nickname. "Anytime. Now, are you hungry? I know I am."

* * *

**(In the boys room)**

"James! James! Ugh, is he always like this? James, wake up or you'll be late for detention!"

"Yeah, pretty much. And it's strange because he always goes to bed early. Is he like that at home?"

"No he's awake before everyone, except our mum."

James reached out and twisted Albus's shirt around his fist. He pulled his little brother close and opened his eyes. "Shut up, punk." He pushed Albus away and rolled over, groaning loudly. "What time is it?"

"Eight forty-five," Albus said irritably, trying to flatten the wrinkles in his shirt. James scratched his chest absentmindedly and sat up, kicking the sheets free from his legs. "You have fifteen minutes to be in the library, so you won't make breakfast."

James rolled his eyes and patted his brother on the back as he walked by him. "You underestimate my skills brother. How do you suppose I always make it to class on time? Uncle George showed me where all of the school's shortcuts were."

Albus rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. His friend that he had been talking to stood quietly beside him, watching his brother with interest. He was a sixth year just like Albus, but he was supposed to be a fourth year. He had skipped a couple years because of him always excelling in all of his classes. The professors gave him a test, and he passed them both, each year. He was going to take the test again this year, but he had met Albus, and they became friends, and he didn't want to graduate without him.

"Hey, Al, who's your friend?"

"Hmm? Oh, this is Xander Colt."

"Cool name kid," James said. "What year?"

"Sixth," Xander said, looking down at his shoes. "But I'm supposed to be a fourth year."

James turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Seriously? That's pretty cool, to have skipped a couple years. You must be pretty smart."

Xander turned a little pink under the praise and shrugged his shoulders. Albus smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hurry up, James. Wouldn't want to make Lily think your skipping out on her."

James rolled his eyes and continued getting dressed. He had almost forgotten about his little sister. Albus had reminded him about detention, but he had nearly forgotten that Lily was serving it with him. He smirked as he buttoned up his shirt and tightened his tie. Lily had never served a detention, so he very well use it to his advantage. Teachers tended to check on you after fifteen minutes of leaving you alone, so if he planned it right, he wouldn't have to do a single thing. He chuckled and pulled on his robes.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," James laughed.

"But your laughing," Albus deadpanned. "And you're about to go to detention. And clean."

James turned to his brother with a grin. "Please, this is nothing new for me. I average about twenty detentions every single year."

Albus nodded like he knew this. "So don't worry about why I'm laughing."

Albus rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll see you in Herbology."

Albus walked away, Xander lingering for just a moment before hurrying after Albus. "That was your older brother?"

"Mhm, he's a little annoying sometimes. But he's my brother, so of course I love him. Same thing with my little sister, Lily. But James and Lily fight a lot, so that's why James is going to detention. Lily is going too. She's probably already there."

"Class doesn't start for another thirty minutes, so can we go see her? I haven't met her yet." Xander asked with a hesitant smile. Albus grinned.

"Sure, Lily would probably like that."

Xander's smile widened slightly. He had heard a lot about James and Lily; their history was very interesting indeed. Especially when their father and mother got involved. "So, what's Lily like?"

"She's very smart. My father tells me she's just like my grandmother- my fathers' mother. I've never met her, though. She died a year after my father was born..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Xander looked down at his shoes as he walked. Albus chuckled.

"No, no, it's okay. It's definitely not recent, and I never met them, so it's not like it really hurts me. I guess it's sad, but I don't know what to think. Anyway, we're here. Lily?" Albus called.

"Over here, Al," Lily yelled back. No one was in the library, so neither one bothered to keep quiet. Albus walked over to where Lily was sitting with her friend, Mildred Carmichael. Albus smiled and waved at her, and she flushed a bright pink and waved back shyly. "You met Mildred right?"

Albus nodded. "Yeah, we have every class together now, right?"

Mildred nodded. Albus chuckled. "Well it's good that I'll have someone to talk to. All of my friends didn't get a single one of my classes this year, how about that, huh? But anyway, the reason I'm here is Xander. We ran up to wake James up, he's on his way now, by the way, and decided to drop by before class started."

Lily stood and hugged her brother. "That was nice of you. And I've never met him before."

Lily gestured to Xander, who stood halfway behind Albus. He waved at Lily and she waved back and stepped towards him. "I'm Lily, it's really nice to meet you. Albus has never mentioned you, so I'm guessing he just met you recently?"

"Yes... I don't have many friends. Albus saw me sitting by myself on the train at the beginning of the year, and we became friends then."

Lily smiled. "Well, that's great. I'm glad you guys met then."

Xander smiled and nodded. "Me, too."

Lily turned to see Albus and Mildred were absorbed in conversation and she rolled her eyes. Once she got talking, Mildred wasn't as shy as she seemed. Lily glanced at the watch on her wrist and sighed. "Five minutes to class, Al. You guys better get going, and I better get cleaning."

Albus nodded and stood. Mildred walked over to Lily and gave her a hug and a meaningful look. Lily had told her all about the charade she and James were trying to pull in order to keep Albus happy, and she supported it. "Good luck. Merlin knows you'll need it."


	7. Good Luck Bracelet

**Hey guys! Wow, another update? I'm on a roll! I've never updated so many times in such few days, it's scary! But it's a good thing indeed, when I know that my readers are satisfied. So, I won't go on a rant this time with everything that's on my mind so... review review review, tell me what's on YOUR mind. What do YOU think?**

**ENJOY!**

**xxx**

**Chapter Six**

"Shouldn't you be helping me? This is _our _detention."

James looked up from the book he was randomly flipping through. "I'm sorry, what did you say? I was too interested in this book to hear you."

Lily rolled her eyes and picked up a few more books and set them on the repaired bookshelves. "We were given this detention for a reason. I shouldn't be the only one doing this. Why don't you go start on that pile of books over there?"

"I'm taking a break, leave me alone."

"We don't get breaks! Ugh! I've been working for the past two hours, so if anything, I'm the one that actually deserves the break, not you."

James shrugged, licked his pointer finger, and turned the page. She growled under her breath and continued placing the books on the shelves in silence. James glanced down at the watch on his wrist and pursed his lips. The librarian would be coming to check on them in a couple minutes. He should start convincing Lily now.

"Hey, Lil, you're right," James said suddenly, putting the book down on the table as he stood. Lily rounded on him in disbelief.

"I am? I mean... yes, of course I am."

James smiled at her. "You should take a break. I mean, the library looks a hundred times better than it did, and you did all the work. You should sit down, put your feet up, read a book. You deserve it."

"But what if they come to check on us? Make sure we're still working?" Lily asked with a frown.

James shook his head. "They never check on us until it's about time we need to leave. Trust me, I'm a pro at this. And besides, you look exhausted."

"I don't know..."

James grabbed her shoulders and guided her to the chair he had just vacated. "It's okay, really. I've got it under control. And if they come to check on us, I'll just-"

James heard the lightest of footsteps coming towards them. The librarian was trying to be sneaky, see if they could catch them off guard. James smiled to himself- Lily hadn't noticed yet. He picked up the book he had been skimming earlier, and began shouting.

"Come on, Lily! I've been doing all of the work around here! Can't you just get up and help me?"

"What?" Lily gasped, outraged. But for James, it was perfect timing. The librarian had rounded the corner just in time to hear her, and see that she was indeed sitting down. The elderly woman crossed her arms tightly over her chest and scowled.

"Miss Potter! Your brother is very right. Why are you sitting down? Why aren't you helping?"

Lily stood up and stomped her foot angrily, unable to help herself. "But Mrs. Jenkins, he _hasn't _done anything! It was actually me that did all the work! James lied to me and said that it was okay to take a break!"

"And if this were true... you believed him?"

"I- he-"

"That is quite enough. Come with me Mr. Potter, it's lunch time. And as for you," the librarian glared at Lily. "you need to get started on the library. It isn't going to clean itself, and you _don't _get breaks."

As James walked away, he turned his head to smirk at Lily. She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched them leave. Once they were gone, in a fit of rage, she kicked over the chair she had been sitting in.

"I hate him! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" She growled under her breath, picking the chair back up, and marching over to the bookshelves. "I shouldn't have hesitated, and I shouldn't have let him get to me. Oh, I'm so stupid!"

She slammed books down onto the shelves, still fuming. "Why can't James just be like Albus? He's so much more agreeable! Or even better, why did he have to be brother?"

_I wish James had never been my brother... _she screamed inside her head. Lily took a deep breath to try and calm herself. If she got anymore angry, she might end up taking it out on the books, and that would get her in even more trouble. She sighed heavily and continued to put the books back on the shelves. After about an hour of trying to forget about what had happened, and finishing up her section of the library, her arms were beginning to cramp up, and her stomach was growling loudly. She grimaced and looked down at her stomach irritably. "Shut up, you'll have to wait until dinner."

It growled again, as if responding to her. "Because James is a rude, arrogant, know-it-all, self-serving-"

"Are you talking to yourself?"

Lily yelped in fear and dropped the book she was holding. Then when she realized it was Xander, she smiled in relief. "Oh, it's just you Xander!"

Xander smiled and sat down at one of the tables that wasn't occupied by dozens of books. He placed a brown paper bag down on the table and emptied it of it's contents. "Are you hungry? I could hear your stomach from the front. I've got ham and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, an apple, and a bottle of pumpkin juice."

Lily smiled gratefully and sat down. She pulled her arm across her chest until it popped, and then repeated the process with the other arm. Xander stared at her with slightly widened eyes. "You've been working for a while, huh?"

Lily nodded, and an annoyed look crossed her face. "Yeah... James kind of tricked me and got me in trouble. He went to lunch with the others, and I had to stay here and keep working."

Xander made a sympathetic sound and pushed her the ham and cheese sandwich. "I'm lactose intolerant, so I can't have cheese. You don't mind do you? If you don't want it, you can have the apple."

Lily smiled and shook her head. "No it's fine, thank you so much."

"It's no problem. I noticed you weren't at lunch, so I decided to come and see how you were." he shrugged, his cheeks flushing a light pink. Lily smiled and took a small bite from the sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment and then swallowed before she spoke.

"Won't everyone notice you're gone?" She inquired.

Xander shrugged. "Maybe Albus, but if he does, it's not like we have the same classes. He'll probably assume I've left early."

Lily chuckled. "I do that sometimes, leave early for class I mean. I love being the first one there. It's always so quiet."

Xander nodded as he chewed. "Yeah, it's great. And sometimes, the teachers will even give you a heads up on the assignment so you can get started early."

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "I've always loved that."

"Me, too," Xander smiled. "Lily... we've got maybe fifteen minutes left of lunch before I've got to go but... would you like some help?"

"Oh, Xander, I couldn't possibly-"

"It's no bother, really. I've got nothing better to do than wander, because if I go back now, they'll ask where I went, and I don't like explaining myself."

Lily frowned. "I don't want you to feel obligated to help me. I brought this on myself, by fighting with James."

"Lily, I understand. But as a f-friend," he stumbled over the word, not knowing if they were friends or not, since they had just met earlier that day. "I would like to help."

She sighed, but nodded. "Alright... I've already finished the Restricted Section and the first twenty shelves to the right. I've got about a hundred more to go on the left hand side..."

She gave a humorless chuckle as she stood, her half eaten sandwich long forgotten. Xander smiled at her and stood as well. "I'm sure we can get some done. What should I do?"

After Lily instructed Xander on what he should do, he struck up a conversation that ended up leading into her family. "Lily, I don't know if it's personal or not, but, why do you and James fight so much?"

She sighed and picked up a book and placed it on the shelf. "It's a long story."

Xander looked at his watch and smiled. "We've got seven minutes."

Lily chuckled. "Well, it started when we were little. I was only about four at the time, and just learning how to talk. But everything I said was completely different on what James thought, but everyone said we were so much alike, it was scary. My mother always said we fought because we wanted to be different, but me and James couldn't be anymore different..." she paused to put a few more books onto the shelf. "And then my parents started to treat him differently as we got older. He got everything he wanted... candies, toys, brooms, books, gadgets... you name it. I got a couple things sometimes, but it almost always had to be a special occasion. A birthday, a holiday, some sort of celebration... I got left in the dust... and James was the prize child. I always came in last..."

Lily stared down at the book in her hands, not realizing she was crying until she saw the dark spots appearing on the velvet cover. She sniffed and wiped her eyes quickly. Xander was quiet for a moment before he responded.

"And it seems like James is rubbing it in your face now?"

"Yes! Every single time I feel good about something, James always has to point out that he is always just one step ahead of me. And I can't stand it anymore."

Xander nodded and put his book on the shelf and chewed on the inside of lip while he thought. "Lily, take this."

"What?" She looked down at the little charm bracelet Xander held in his hand. It was small, probably just the right size to fit her wrist, and had a single charm on it. It was a surprisingly detailed genie lamp, like the typical kinds you saw in movies and stuff.

"Why?"

"I don't know, I just feel like you should have it. Consider it my gift to you, to let you know that I think you should be the prize child for once. It's a good luck bracelet. I've had it for ages."

Lily smiled and wiped her eyes again. "Thank you..."

Xander grinned and clasped it around her wrist. A tingle went up Lily's arm, but she paid it no mind. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Xander's neck, standing up one her tiptoes so she could reach him.

"Thank you for listening. I know I probably sounded pathetic, but it meant a lot to me."

Xander returned her hug, waiting until she let go of him. "Anytime, Lily. It doesn't bother me, I promise."

She glanced at her watch and sighed. "You better get going or you'll be late."

Xander nodded, a sad look crossing his face. As he gathered his things and started to leave, he turned back to face Lily. "Hey... um, Lily?"

"Yes, Xander?"

"Do you think maybe we can do this again sometime? I-I mean not clean up the library in detention... but actually g-go out somewhere?"

Lily smiled. "I'd love that."

"G-great! Awesome... so um... rain check, okay?"

"Okay, just let me know." Lily smiled, her cheeks turning pink.

Xander nodded and turned again, but stumbled over his feet. He heard Lily giggle quietly and turned beet red, and hurried out of the library. His heart raced, but he was happy.

"Mission accomplished..." he sighed in relief.


	8. Not Your Average Magic

**Heyy guys! Another update, surprisingly enough. This idea just kinda popped up into my head. At first I had figured I would keep Xander in the background, but then I was like... "WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT?" so I decided to make it interesting. I really hope you like this chapter, because I was kind of sketchy about going this direction... review review review, tell me what you think? **

**Awesome or stupid? Toss or keep? **

**I'm going to put a poll up on my page as well about Prize Child! Be sure to vote!**

**I'd also like to thank Mixed Reality and Abbey333 for reviewing my story. It really made my day! So anyways...**

**ENJOY!**

**xxx**

**Chapter Seven**

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* * *

Xander slowly walked down the hall, his hands held tightly together, staring down at the floor as he walked. A familiar ringing sound started in his ears as kids started to clear out of the halls. He didn't care about his next class, not when something was about to happen. When the bell had rung, and everyone was gone, the ringing sound increased. Xander stumbled and leaned against the wall for support.

"You did well Colt..." a sultry voice said from behind him.

Xander gasped and turned to face her. Her violet eyes were both captivating and terrifying, but he couldn't help but nod in agreement. "E-Eris... I didn't expect you t-to-"

"To make sure you did what I asked of you?" She laughed, a musical, bell-like sound that had Xander's heart racing. Eris flipped her long black hair behind her shoulder and leaned close to Xander's face. Her breath caressed his face, and he became lightheaded. He swallowed back the lump that had formed in his throat and tried to speak again.

"I-I did d-do it, just l-like you asked." He stuttered.

Eris smiled and smoothed back his hair. "Yes, you did, and you did it so flawlessly! The girl doesn't expect a thing!"

"E-Eris... if I may... what exactly does that bracelet do?"

She smiled down at Xander again and patted his cheek. He winced, but didn't look away from her. "It grants a wish, of course. Not three, but one. I'm not just any genie! See, the trick is, she has to say her wish out loud. If she doesn't, the wish will never come true."

"You want her to get rid of James?"

"My dear boy, this is supposed to happen! Do you read prophecies?" Xander shook his head, and Eris rolled her eyes. She turned away from him and walked across the hall to the window. She stared up at the sky, the sun making her eyes spark like violet flames. She sighed and turned back to face Xander. "I don't know your perception of genie's, but we aren't like those puffs of smoke that come out of lamps and grant you three wishes. We're much more complicated. In fact, we're more often referred to as the gods and goddesses of discord and trickery."

Xander frowned. "So... if she makes her wish... what will happen to James?"

She laughed again, and Xander felt his heart contract. "I can't tell you, that will spoil the fun!"

Xander's cheeks turned red and stared down at his shoes. "W-will she remember what I-I asked h-her in the library?"

"Of course she will! She'll remember everything. You won't lose your little toy."

"She's not-"

"Of course not," Eris smirked and then stretched her arms open wide. "I must be off. But please, do keep me up-to-date on the latest mischief. I'll be back when the Potter girl is ready."

She crossed her arms over her chest, winked, and then she was gone. Xander looked around with wide eyes, and then when he knew he really was alone, he shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking again. He stared down at his feet as he walked, counting his steps, trying to keep calm. If he started thinking about how much Lily might hate him after she found out what he did- Xander quickly shook his head, attempting to clear it. He couldn't think of that now. Xander slowly trudged up the stairs, walking in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. He would be safest there until the end of the day. He could lie and say he felt sick and couldn't go to class. It would be believable for him. And it wasn't a lie, because he did feel sick.

"Password?"

"Light will triumph," Xander said, never looking up. The portrait creaked open and he stepped through and into the common room.

"Hello, Xander, I didn't expect to see you here."

Xander yelped and jumped back, stumbling and then falling to the floor. He stared at James Potter with wide eyes. James chuckled and stood, walking over to help him up. "Sorry, I probably should have thrown something at you first. I do that to Lily sometimes, you know, to let her know I'm there so I don't scare her. She's like you in that way, always afraid. My mum made a mistake in telling her about the war so young."

Xander dusted off his pants and watched as James sat back down. "Well, go ahead, sit down. You don't have to be nervous around me."

Xander nodded and quickly sat down. "O-of course..."

James frowned. "I didn't peg you for the one to be skipping class."

"Wha-what?"

"You said you were like... an overachiever, right? I didn't expect you to skip class."

Xander visibly relaxed and nodded. "Well, yeah, but I-I was just feeling sick, so I came back to the common room to try and feel better."

James smirked. "Good excuse. I'm skipping detention."

"And leaving Lily to do all of that work by herself?"

James stopped smirking. "Yeah, why not? It'll teach her to stop being such a spoiled brat."

"She's the spoiled brat? Do you even hear yourself?"

James glared at Xander. "Watch your mouth kid, you don't know who you're talking to."

"I was in the library with Lily when you were off at lunch. She told me how you tricked her, and then how she had to miss lunch because of you. I brought her lunch, because you couldn't be bothered by it. And I even offered to help her, when it wasn't even my place to do it, and could have even gotten her into more trouble, but I wanted to help anyway."

James stared at Xander, completely shocked. "So that's where you ran off to..."

"Yeah, and she told me all about you." Xander stood and ran up the stairs, slamming the door behind him after he was in his door. He turned the lock and stepped back.

"Wait, what did she say? Xander!" James banged on the door, but there was no way he could open it. All of the doors were charmed so they couldn't be opened by magic. Xander walked over to his bed and laid down, staring up at the canopy. James probably would never leave him alone about that one, but he didn't care. He would never tell James, and to make sure that he never knew, was a lot better than Xander could have hoped for.

"Xander! Let me in! Why won't you tell me what she said? Xander! _Xander!_"


	9. Hopeless

**Heyy guys! Another update! Woohoo! I'm so excited. Anyways, let's get down to business. This chapter kind of focuses on the new conflict James in facing within himself. He wants to change, but doesn't really know how. Read the chapter to find out. Any suggestions, questions, comments? I'll never know if there are no reviews. So tell me what you think about this new update!**

**Acknowledgements: I'd like to thank Abbey333 and hushpuppy22 for the AMAZING reviews. Seriously you guys, it really made my day, and put a smile on my face for the rest of the night. So, this update is for y'all! So...**

**ENJOY!**

**xxx **

**Chapter Eight**

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* * *

Lily stepped back to view her work. There were probably at least a thousand shelves in the new library, and in the hours she had worked, she had gotten at least four hundred shelves done. She closed one of her eyes and held her hands up to form a square so she could block the destroyed half of the library out and just look at the neat half. She lowered her hands and smiled to herself. Even though her whole body ached from the number of times she had lifted more than ten books at once, and walking back and forth, and climbing the ladder to get to the top shelf, she felt very accomplished.

She turned at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Lily was hoping it was Xander, or Mildred, or even Albus. But who she saw, was none other than her oldest brother, James. She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "You have some nerve coming back today."

James shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets, staring down at the floor. "I just wanted to apologize."

Lily's jaw dropped in shock. Apologize? He never apologized to her. She quickly recovered before he could see her reaction. "Why should I accept your apology? You got me in more trouble, you forced me to skip out on lunch, and now I could probably collapse from exhaustion at any minute. See all the work I've done?"

Lily gestured behind her, but they both winced at the sound of her shoulder cracking. "I've been here, by myself, for at least seven hours by now. It's nearly supper time... and you haven't done a single thing."

"I know... and Lily I am sorry," James stepped forward and held out his hands in a pleading manor. She frowned, not knowing what had gotten into him. This was not the James she knew and loathed. "I screwed up. This is supposed to be our detention. We may fight later on, and even now, but I do want to try and help you before the day is over. I've been thinking, and I know that I should've helped."

Lily narrowed her eyes and circled him for a moment. When she had circled him once, she came back to face him and nodded. "I don't entirely forgive you, nor do I trust you, but I will try and ignore the fact that you're an arrogant prat."

James nodded and shoved his hands back into his pocket. "I understand."

Lily nodded. "Well... we should probably start cleaning again. I won't last much longer... but now that you're helping, maybe we can actually get something done."

As Lily turned, James caught sight of the bracelet on Lily's wrist. He frowned, not remembering her having that before they had gotten back to school. "Lily, where did you get that bracelet?"

She stopped walking and looked down at her hands. She was silent for what seemed like forever, debating whether or not she wanted to tell James where she had gotten it. If she did tell him, what would he say? Would he try and ask her more questions about why Xander had given it to her? Would he try and pressure Xander into something neither of them wanted? She turned to face him when she decided.

"Oh, this? I found it while I was cleaning. It was underneath some of the books in the Restricted Section, and I thought I'd hang onto it until I told one of the professors about it."

James nodded, not entirely convinced about her story, but going with it anyway. "Okay... so... where do I start?"

"You can start at the end, way over there. Maybe if we do that, we can get finished faster."

James nodded and walked to the end of the library. He had a feeling she didn't put him all the way down here for convenience, but because she didn't want to see him or hear him. James slowly began working, picking books up off the floor and setting them on the shelves. His thoughts wandered back to Xander. What had Lily told him that he refused to tell James? He wanted to ask Lily, but it had to be something bad, and it probably wouldn't go over well with his sister. James could remembered the almost reverent look in Xander's eyes when they first met. Or maybe it wasn't reverent, but something else.

Was James really that self-centered? No, he couldn't be! He's helped people out before. Like the time when he was a fifth year, and he had helped a Hufflepuff with her DADA studies. That wasn't self-centered, and she had asked him for help. He had taken the time to try and help her, when he could've just said no. But then he frowned. He also remembered never finishing with her studies because they ended up making out in the Hufflepuff common room.

James sighed and set another book on the shelf. "I'm hopeless."


	10. Action And Reaction

**This update wasn't expected, but I'm sure all of you were wondering what's up with Lily and Xander, so I decided to make a little chapter dedicated to them. This is probably going to be one of the chapters you guys will like the most, but the real good stuff is coming up real soon. But the best way for it to come sooner is for you to... review review review! Haha! Anyways, I really, really, really hope you enjoy this update. make sure to tell me what you guys think so I can improve! Okay, thanks a ton, you guys are great! Now enough of my blabbering!**

**ENJOY!**

**xxx**

**Chapter Nine**

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* * *

It had been exactly a week since Lily and James' detention in the library, and Lily had finally recovered from her muscle exhaustion. James couldn't help but only feel a little bit bad about what he had caused in his sister, but his guilt was long forgotten. It was relatively early in the morning, and James, Lily, Xander, and Albus were all sitting in the common room, just talking among themselves when James stopped everyone. "So... Lily, tryouts are this week."

The moment James had started speaking, she had turned back to her book. She flipped the page, her eyes flicking across the pages before she turned them again. No one could actually tell whether or not she ever read any of the books she had. "How long are they going to last?"

"Three days," James said, not taking his eyes off his sister. "We couldn't possibly get through all the people who want to tryout, so McGonagall gave us an extension. Every team gets one now."

"Okay," Lily said, still reading her book. Before James could respond she folded the corner of the page she was on and closed the book. She smiled up at her oldest brother, though it wasn't a normal smile, and he could see that. Ever since his apology in the library, they had both acted noticeably different around each other. "I'll tryout before the time is up. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. Come on, Xander, I have to show you something."

Lily quickly grabbed Xander's hand and pulled him out of the common room. When they were gone, Albus raised his eyebrows and looked at his brother. James raised his hands as if in surrender.

"Don't look at me mate. I'm just as confused as you are."

* * *

"Did you really want to show me something?"

Lily turned her head and smiled at him. "Well, yeah I guess. I don't know if you've seen it yet, though I doubt it."

She giggled, obviously knowing something he didn't. He smiled to himself and continued to follow behind her. She had let go of his hand when they had left the common room, finally noticing that she was still holding it. He felt his cheeks warm as he thought about how her hand felt in his, and how much he had liked her holding his hand. He shook his head to clear it. He needed to stop thinking about things like that. They were just friends... even though he hoped for something more. As they walked, his eyes fell on the wrist she wore Eris's bracelet on. His heart clenched painfully in his chest, that coming back to him full force. Eris wouldn't tell him what Lily's wish would do exactly, or if she would even be able to take it back once she had made it. Xander had read about genie's before, because he had never actually heard of one until now. He had never even known they existed, but they had been around for a while. Like Eris had said, they were best known for their trickery. In history, a genie would only grant one wish, and most of the time, they would try and make you wish for something you never wanted. And unless they felt like it, or held a certain respect for you, you could never change your wish. Xander involuntarily shuddered. If Lily made her wish, would she ever be able to change it?

"... and that's why I probably should go there, but it's my favorite place to be," Lily glanced back at Xander, her face alight with excitement, but then she frowned. "You weren't listening."

Xander flushed a deep red. "I-I'm sorry, I was just lost in though."

Lily shrugged. "It's okay," she paused. "What were you thinking about?"

"Wha-what w-was I... oh u-um I-I was j-just th-th-thinking-"

She smiled. "Xander, calm down and stop stuttering. I can barely understand you."

"O-oh, yeah... s-sorry." Xander mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"It's okay. Anyway, we're here."

Xander looked up, finally taking in their surroundings. They were far away from the castle, walking along the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, just near the lake. Lily walked along the shore, wiping their footprints away as she walked, guiding Xander in front of her. They reached a bank of rocks, and Lily grinned again. She jumped up onto them before Xander could stopped. She leaped among them smoothly as if she'd done it many times before.

"One, two, three, four..." she counted, touching random stones. They obviously meant something, but Xander still didn't know what she intended to show him. "five, and six marks the X."

Lily turned and made an X in midair. She stepped forward, and disappeared. Xander's jaw dropped in awe. "Lily?" He tried walking along to rocks to reach her, but he stumbled a lot. "Lily!"

He was just about to fall when she appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his hand. She giggled and pulled him with her. "I found this place last year, when I was a fourth year. I ran from the castle because I was upset about something James had done and I was just looking for somewhere quiet, and I stumbled upon this place. Pretty cool, huh?"

It appeared as though they had stepped into a cave from the inside, but from the outside, they just completely disappeared. Lily released Xander's hand so he could wander and look around the cave. It was perfectly rounded and the stone looked nearly black. Xander ran his fingers along the wall, the stone smooth, but also strangely rough beneath his fingers. About ten feet away was a set of blankets, showing that this place was obviously occupied. Close to the blankets was a small table with a few books stacked neatly on it. He walked over to the table and examined the books.

"Yeah... pretty cool..." He murmured. He turned to face Lily. "But I still don't understand... why is the cave... invisible?"

Lily shrugged, her vibrant green eyes the brightest thing in the muted light of the candles floating about their heads. "I dunno... but I like it here. This is where I go whenever I need to think or I just need some place quiet to relax. If you can't ever find me, this is where I am. Magic can't detect this place, I've so many spells. It's like a safe-house... but it's a cave."

Xander nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked around. "How do you suppose the cave was turned invisible?"

"I'm curious about that too. While I was in the library, I tried looking through the charms and hexes and jinxes, but nothing seemed like it could turn an _entire cave _invisible, you know?"

"Yeah,"

"So, I just decided to let it be. It's a nice place to hide out."

"Definitely..." Xander nodded. "So... now that were here, what do we do?"

Lily shrugged, not really sure herself. "I don't know. I guess we could just talk? I haven't known you for even a month so..."

"That's true..." Xander murmured. He walked over to the blankets, grabbed one, and then spread it on the floor, assuming that's what they were used for. He sat down, leaning back against the wall, and patted the space beside him. Lily smiled and sat down, folding her hands in her lap. It was very quiet while they both waited for the other to strike up some conversation.

"Are you really going to try out for the Quidditch team?" Xander finally asked. It was the question he had wanted to ask her, but it was a start. Lily nodded.

"Yup, I think I have a pretty good chance. I'm trying out for the Beater position. I was told I was pretty good, so I have a good feeling I'll get it. And besides... it's something that I might just be better at than James, and I know he wouldn't be able to stand that."

Xander laughed. "Yeah, I don't think he would like that. Hey Lily... if I may ask... what exactly did James do to you in your fourth year that resulted in you finding this place?"

"He raped me." She deadpanned.

Xander's eyes went wide, but then Lily laughed. "I'm only kidding!"

"You have a weird sense of humor..." Xander mumbled, but he was smiling as well.

"Come on, you have to admit, it was pretty funny. But, in all seriousness... he pulled a prank on me, and he took it a little too far. It lasted for a long time, over the course of a few weeks, and finally I snapped and I skipped a whole two days of school, which is rare for me. It had everyone in a panic trying to find me. James didn't really get punished that bad because he made it seem like I was the one in the wrong for 'running away' as they put it."

"But he was the reason why you did in the first place..." Xander said.

"I know! It doesn't make sense! But James is the first born, the smartest, the fastest, the most handsome, the most advanced, the bravest... when our mum told us about the war, you want to know what my brother did? He leaped out of bed and started yelling about how he'd have beaten the dark lord if he had been alive then. Do you want to know what I did?"

Xander waited for Lily to finish, but she was silent for a long time. He sat their quietly and patiently waiting. She pushed her hair back and sighed out her response. "I hid under the covers like the baby I was and cried. It terrified me, the idea of war. Killing, bloodshed, hate, fear, death... that's what my mother and father knew practically their whole lives. They lost people they loved. But I was raised on love, hope, life... there wasn't a whole lot of killing that I knew about. And being the youngest, the war had already been over for a long time by the time I was born."

Xander didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't want to appear insensitive. He bit the inside of his lip and hesitantly grabbed Lily's hand. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, squeezing his hand lightly. She smiled then and looked up at him, but he could see the anger, betrayal, defeat, sadness, and happiness in her eyes. She was like an open book to him. He could see all of her emotions displayed clearly as if they were spelled out for him. He smiled as well and lightly squeezed her hand back.

"Okay, so enough about me. I think we've heard enough of my sob stories. What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Mother and father?"

Xander shrugged as if he didn't care, his happy mood suddenly turning sour. "My mother and father were taken away from me. I live with my aunt. She can be nice, but she has a lot of children and a lot of men coming in and out of the house. Not the best environment, but it's the best they've got unless I want to live in an orphanage, where I really _will _be alone."

"Oh, Xander I'm so sorry. My problems must seem so stupid next to that-"

"No, it's okay Lily, I've learned to deal with it. And besides, I only have the rest of this year and next year and then I can get a job and get away from it all. So it doesn't bother me at all, because I know something better is waiting for me."

Lily smiled and nodded. "That's good, I'm happy you think that way."

"Me too... I try to look at the positive side of things. Like... one positive thing is that I get to be here with you today."

Lily blushed and looked down at their hands. Their fingers were laced together, and she couldn't help but notice how warm her hand was in his, and how comfortable she felt around him. She had never confided in someone so much. And she didn't even know him that well. They had only just met a week or so ago, and already, they were exchanging life stories. Lily didn't trust easily, and she could blame James for that, but there was something about Xander that she knew she could trust and rely on. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was there. And she liked it. She liked it a lot.

"It is a very good thing..." She murmured. Xander's heart raced as he used his other hand to lift her face up towards his. He leaned in towards her, and closed his eyes. He waited for a rejection, but he never got one. Their lips met, and his heart skipped a beat. Lily giggled and pulled back, pressing her lips together. She looked down, her cheeks as red as her hair. Xander smiled to himself and felt his stomach do little back flips. He had never felt this way about a girl before. So why now, and why Lily?_  
_

"That was unexpected," she murmured, still smiling. "But... nice."

"Really?" Xander asked, worry lacing his voice.

She smiled up at him "Really, really. So... does this count as a date... or...?"

Xander's heart felt like it would beat it's way out of his chest at any moment. "Well, I guess it could be a date..."

She smiled again, and in a rare act of confidence, stood up on her knees and leaned in and kissed him again. This time neither were as shy as the first time, and Lily wrapped her arms around Xander's neck. She had never kissed anyone before, but she felt like she knew exactly what she was doing. It helped that Xander seemed like he knew what he was doing as well.

She pulled back with a small gasp, trying to breathe properly. She leaned her head back for a moment and stared up at the roof of the cave. She had never felt this way about a boy, and she hadn't even realized she felt anything for Xander until she had grabbed his hand back in the common room. Did this mean they were together?

"Lily?"

She lifted her back up to face him. His eyes were wide with worry and happiness. She smiled at him to ease his fears and smoothed his hair back away from his face. She hadn't really noticed him, like _really _noticed him until now. His hair was a light brown, and very curly, and always getting into his eyes. His eyes were a deep, warm, trusting brown. He wasn't pale, but he was tanned either. She was lighter than he was, her skin much more fair. He was much taller than her, probably by about a foot. They were so different, and yet exactly the same in so many ways.

"Does this mean we're..." Lily paused. "Together now?"

Xander shrugged lightly. "I don't want to push you into anything you don't want to do. I would like it v-very much if you were to be... t-to be m-my g-girlfriend."

Lily smiled at the use of the word and nodded. "I would like that very much, too, Xander."

"Really?" He asked hopefully.

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "Really, really."


	11. Decisions and Rightful Suspicions

**Obviously not my longest chapter... but it's got promise, and gives me so many more paths to turn to make this story so much more interesting. The characters are going to play very dirty from here on out, just as a warning. James following Xander and Lily is only the beginning, and definitely not the most serious thing that's about to happen. Opinions, questions, comments, suggestions, concerns? Make sure to leave a review and don't forget to...**

**ENJOY!**

**xxx**

**Chapter Ten**

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James just didn't understand it. He had been sitting in the common room for what had seemed like an eternity, turning the idea over and over in his head. He didn't trust the little git. But if his sister did, that had to count for something, didn't it? If nothing else, Lily at least knew what kind of people to associate herself with; she didn't need criticism in that department. But what about Xander? He was so... unnervingly jumpy all the time. Lily was the same, in some ways, which would give him a reason to believe that they were a good match, but so soon? Lily had only known Xander for what... a little over a week? Albus had introduced the two of them on his and Lily's first day of detention. And what about on Xander's part? What interested him so much about James' little sister that he would take up for her the way he had, and even help her out with her punishment when he obviously didn't have to?

James groaned loudly, making Albus jump. "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't get it! What do Xander and Lily see in each other? She's a know-it-all and he's a jumpy little prat."

"You only say that because he wouldn't tell you something you wanted to know," Albus rolled his eyes. "And besides, this is good for the both of them. Xander needs to get out of his shell, and I think Lily can help him. She may not be much better, but I'm sure being around her will make a huge change in him."

"For better or worse?"

"James!"

"What? I'm just saying... you remember the story mum told us? About how during the war people had been completely fine at first, but then ended up being lying, scheming scumbags?"

"How does that have anything to do with Xander?" Albus sighed, closing his book, finally realizing that he wouldn't be able to go back to reading anytime soon. James wouldn't give up on this topic until he had a solid point and he currently didn't have one. This would take a while, and Albus knew that much.

"Because he's always jumpy! He stutters and can't look anyone in the eyes, and-and"

"James, it's because he's shy that that happens. Get over yourself." Albus rolled his eyes.

James grimaced and flipped around, having been sitting upside down while all of those thoughts had been bouncing around in his head. "I'm serious Albus, and when I'm right, I'll get to rub it in your face and say I told you so."

"And what if you are right, that Xander isn't the good guy. How would you propose to find out?"

"Follow him, of course," James said sweetly and took out a ratty, folded piece of parchment from his robes. "And I have a really good way of going about it."

Albus's jaw dropped. "No way! Where did you get that?"

"Uncle George! I think I'm his favorite... but anyway, he let me have this. Turns out dad had given it back to him some years after the war was over so George could pass it down to his children, but none of them had turned out to be as sneaky and mischievous as he had been, so he let me have it, seeing potential in me."

"This is incredible... I can't even imagine how long it must've taken grandpa to make this..." Albus murmured, walking to kneel beside James. "He did tell you how to open it and make it work right?"

"Of course... what use would the Marauders map be if he hadn't?" James cleared his throat emphatically and pointed his wand at the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Lines began to appear across the page, forming the castle, and names began to appear. Albus grinned and glanced up at his brother. But at closer examination, neither of them spotted Lily and Xander's name. "Did they leave the castle?" Albus asked, thoroughly shocked. It wasn't like Lily to leave the castle like that. But, he supposed that whatever she had to show Xander couldn't be inside the castle, could it?

"See, maybe he took her to some dark place and-"

"James!"

"What?" He griped. "I'm just giving theories..."

"She's fine, and Xander is perfectly safe. You know perfectly well that Lily would not associate herself with him, had she not trusted him completely. And besides, even if she were in trouble, Lily is more than capable of taking care of herself." James nodded in agreement, but started muttering something about polyjuice potion and evil siblings.

"We should just leave them alone for now. Maybe something good will come out of this, you just have to be patient and see what happens." Albus encouraged, standing from his crouch beside his brother. He returned to his chair, hoping he could return to his book as well, but as soon as he heard a slight intake of breath from James, all of his hopes for that were shattered.

James guffawed. "Me? Patient? Oh, you _really _must not know me so well then."

Albus grimaced and open his book, choosing to ignore him rather than keep talking to him. He knew better than that, but he also knew that either way, James would find a way to instigate Lily and Xander's strange new relationship. He would probably get hexed for it, but whatever he had coming at him, he thought would definitely deserve when it came. This thought sent a chill down Albus's spine, but he chose to ignore it. Besides, Lily wouldn't ever do something so drastic that it would truly hurt James. He would probably have to go to Madam Pomfrey for a potion to get rid of a jinx or hex placed on him, but other than that, he knew Lily would never go to such extremes that James would be in real danger. Or at least, he sincerely hoped.


	12. Taking A Leap Of Faith

**Hey guys! It took me a little bit longer than usual to update, for which I apologize, but school is starting soon, so I gotta get back into my old routine. Updates are going to be a lot less frequent, because my dad is really strict about the whole "grades come before anything else" kind of thing, so please, please, please bear with me. I hope everyone likes this chapter, because it took me like... forever to write. Exactly how long? Haha, I don't even know. Okay, enough of my useless blabbering. Enjoy this chapter, tell me what you think of it, what should I improve, get rid of, keep, the works. But really, what I want you to do is...**

**ENJOY!**

**xxx**

**Chapter Eleven**

**xxx**

* * *

It was the last day for Quidditch tryouts, and Lily sat nervously at the stands with the other Gryffindors who were also interested in joining their team. The turnout for the tryouts was incredible and she suddenly felt unsure about her being there. And Merlin was there a lot of boys! There were only a handful of girls among a sea of noisy, laughing, chest-bumping boys.

It gave her some comfort to have her brother, Albus and her… boyfriend (she was still getting used to the word) sitting on either side of her on the stands, giving her the moral support she realized she badly needed at that time. Her facial expression appeared calm, but her fingers kept fidgeting with her uniform.

"Don't worry, Lily," Albus said upon noticing his sisters' anxiety. "You'll do great, I know it," he smiled and nudged her with his elbow. "And besides… you _are _a Potter after all."

A nervous laugh came from Lily. "That doesn't always mean anything, does it?"

Albus shrugged with a big grin on his face. "Dad was one of the best Seekers Gryffindor had never seen, and not to mention grandpa was an amazing Chaser in his day. And, well, you've seen James and I play."

Lily shook her head. "I don't see how talent at a sport is inheritable."

Even though all of her friends and her brother had given her good words of confidence, she was becoming increasingly nervous. There were going to be tons of boys to be going up against her, fighting for the position of being a Beater, not to mention that they had all probably trained. Lily only had the experience of a couple of little home Quidditch games. She couldn't really rely on that, could she?

She felt Xander squeeze her hand. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her, seeing the lack of confidence in her vibrant green eyes.

"Don't worry, Lily," he said, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "I know that you'll do great. Not just because you're a Potter, but because you're good at everything you set your mind to."

Lily's cheeks turned pink and she turned her gaze to the field where James and a few other members of the team were talking. Tryouts would be starting in a few minutes and they were making sure they had everything set up.

"You're both right," she said. "I'm sure it can't be that hard, right?"

"You're absolutely right," Albus patted her shoulder and stood. "Well, I've got to go. James is probably wondering where I am right now. Just keep your head on straight and you'll do great, Lily."

Lily nodded and watched her brother mount his broom and fly up to where their older brother hovered. When Albus flew up beside him, James glanced at him, turned back to the conversation and then did a double take. Lily could just barely hear him yelling at Albus and she sighed. Xander frowned, not knowing what else he could say to ease her fears.

"Alright," James said loudly, making Lily jump. Everyone stopped talking and looked over at the Gryffindor team captain, who was now hovering on his broom in front of the stands. Everyone was used to James being sarcastic, rude, and well… never serious, but at the moment, he was completely serious. His expression told everyone that this was _not _the place to fool around. "First things first, welcome to Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts. Since this is the last day, we've switched things up a little bit, because I'm sure everyone has been talking about what happened during the past few days."

Murmurs broke out among the crowd, and James smirked, having known he was right. "The past few days, we had ended with the Seekers, seeing as how that would the longest and the hardest. Today, we're beginning with them. When trying to find the Snitch, you have a limit of five minutes. If it's not caught by then, you're less than likely to be chosen. Come sit on this front bench if you plan on trying out for the Seeker position. We'll go from right to left."

A bunch of boys and a few girls stood and sat down on the bench. Once seated, the first boy on the right stood and mounted his broom. Lily watched with mild interest as the Seekers flew around the pitch in search for the Golden Snitch. James had been right, trying out for the position of Seeker was the longest, and after about an hour, Lily had her chin resting on her hand, watching the last two kids fly around with obvious boredom written all over her face. When the kids trying out for the Seeker position were done, James called for the potential Chasers. During the entire tryout, there was a constant passing of the Quaffle that had begun to confuse Lily. After about fifteen minutes of watching them fly around, she felt her head begin to spin, and she had long since lost track of who scored what.

James called forth everyone wanting to be a Keeper next. This had Lily a lot more entertained, and a lot less confused, seeing as how Albus was the one standing in as Keeper for the ones trying out. Her brother was very fast and it was rare that a student was able to get the Quaffle past him. In the end, only three of the twenty students had succeeded in getting three of the six throws past him.

And then it was the Beaters' turn.

"Alright, those who are trying out for the Beater position, come sit on this bench. If you get knocked off your broom more than three times, hit by the Bludger, or let anyone else get hit by the Bludger, then you can go ahead and forget about joining the Quidditch team."

Lily and a large handful of boys stood and sat down on the bench James had pointed to. Lily sat at the far left, noting with concern that she was the only girl among probably twenty boys. She started fidgeting with her uniform again, displaying to everyone how frayed her nerves were. Xander watched her helplessly, knowing he couldn't go and sit next to her to ease her fears.

Lily watched the other boys who wanted to be a Beater, hoping that she could see what they did right and try to mimic it when it was her turn, but she found that most of the boys were getting beaten to a pulp within the first five minutes of being in the pitch. The boy before her had been knocked off his broom twice, and let one of the teams Chasers get knocked off her broom before finally getting the chance to even hit the damn ball once. Lily was extremely shocked, having thought that trying out for the Beater position was a bad idea, but now thought that she might actually have a chance. After thirty minutes of watching the boys get bruised and bloodied up, it was finally her turn. She would only have to compete with two boys who had survived, which wasn't as horrible as she had thought it would be. Lily mounted her broom and flew up to where the rest of the team was hovering.

Lily glanced at James, who was the one to release the Bludger. They broke eye contact after several seconds and James relinquished the restraints that held down the destructive ball. It blasted into the sky at an amazing speed, flying high into the air, and hurtled back down toward James, preparing to beat his skull in. He didn't move however, knowing it was Lily's job to protect the team from the Bludger. Lily darted forward, and swung her arm out at the ball, whacking it as hard as she could. The ball cracked against the bat and went flying in the direction of the 'opposing' team. Lily flew forward again, trying to match her speed with the ball and hit it again in the direction of one of the students hovering. They held one of the bats that she held, so when the Bludger reached him, he whacked it back to Lily. It hurtled toward her and she just barely missed it hitting her broom. She watched it make a wide turn, grazing the edge of the stands before zooming back to her. She hit it again in the direction of the wizard who she had originally directed it to.

He hit it again with such force that she could hear the wood of his bat crack. The ball flew away from him at a powerful speed, in the direction of Albus. She flew after the ball that was hurtling towards her brother. It was flying at a speed she knew she wouldn't be able to match. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her heart pounded faster than before. It was inching ever closer to Albus every millisecond, and she wasn't gaining on it at all. She wasn't Beater material, who was she kidding anyway? She knew she shouldn't have tried out…

Just moments before it would hit Albus, an idea sprung up in her mind. It was reckless, but it would work, she was sure of it. Carefully standing up on her broom, surprising even herself at her balance, she lunged towards the ball, and grabbed it, turning it just enough so that it wouldn't hit him. The ball freed itself from her grip, but before she could begin falling towards the ground, a strong hand grabbed her wrist. She looked up at Albus who was staring down at her with wide eyes.

"That was really stupid," he noted, a hit of awe in his voice. She shrugged as much as she could in the position she was in. "But I'm impressed. That was really amazing, Lily. I think you've proved yourself. James would be crazy if he didn't put you on the team. Just… don't jump off your broom anymore. During an actual game, I don't think I'd be able to catch you."

As he hauled her up onto his broom, she smiled to herself. She had done something so stupid and so reckless that it had impressed her brother. Lily very rarely did anything that impressed anyone, so this was huge for her. She glanced down at her broom, which had snapped and splintered all over the ground. When she tried to imagine herself hitting the ground with it, she shuddered, suddenly glad that it had been Albus who had caught her.

"Are you alright?" Xander asked her once she was on the stands again. She sat down immediately, the adrenaline having made her legs turn to jell-o.

She smiled at him and patted his cheek. "I'm perfectly fine, not a scratch on me."

Xander nodded and then looked over at James who was now standing in front of them. Lily stared up at James, making her expression unreadable. They stared at each other for a long time, seeming as though they were trying to read each other's thoughts, but both full well knowing it wouldn't work. After what seemed like forever, the tension between them disappeared, and James held out his hand to her. The corners of his mouth lifted into an amused smirk, and she smiled in response, taking his hand

"I hate to admit it, but good job out there. Welcome to the team, Lily."


End file.
